Pronto Viviremos un Mundo Mucho Mejor

Personnel: Arturo Astudillo (vocals, guitar); Carlos Orlando Cardona (vocals, percussion); Jaime R. Bajo, Fabio Gomez, Fabíola Gómez (vocals); Omar Rodriguez (drums).
This is one of Columbia's unknown psychedelic rock gems. Released in 1973, Pronto Viviremos un Mundo Mucho Mejor was die Flippers' third LP, and the first they self-released after a stint with a major label. Die Flippers were at the peak of their popularity, one of Columbia's most famous local bands. And, on the count of this album, it's easy to understand why: they were playing a unique brand of progressive psychedelic rock, soul, and Santana-like Latino rock, and that sound was backed back by more than competent songwriting. By this time, the group operated as a power trio, but a brass section was hired for the recording sessions. The album kicks off with a cover of Buddy Miles' "We Got to Live Together," retitled "Vivamos Siempre Juntos" (and sung in Spanish). It is given a James Brown-goes-psych treatment that makes it incredibly infectious, despite its eight-minute duration. Side two of the original LP starts with the title track (which means "Soon we'll live in a better world"), this one closer to Iron Butterfly but just as perfect. The other tracks are shorter and range from the Santana-esque "Qué Sabes del Amor?" to the aerial ballad "Desdoblamiento" (somehow reminiscent of Italian proggers Il Volo circa their eponymous debut LP), by way of the odd and bottom-heavy "OVNI." However, in the case of this album, comparisons are just that, as die Flippers had their own sound, that soulful take on heavy psych. Simply put, Pronto Viviremos un Mundo Mucho Mejor is one of the very best psychedelic rock LPs South America has produced, and belongs in the world hall of fame for that genre. The Guerssen reissue adds the non-LP 45 "Mi Parque," the only track not to have been remastered from the tapes. ~ François Couture